Stakeholders at World Philosophy Day demand overhaul and review of 1995 constitution

By  Elijah Khisa 

Participating in the two-day World Philosophy Day conference have unanimously resolved to ask the government to immediately put in place mechanisms of overhauling and reviewing the 1995 constitution saying it had lost its purpose and meaning whose original contents have been plucked out clandestinely.

The conference running under the theme ’30 years of the 1995 constitution; Gains, Pitfalls and Prospects’ has resolved that government should immediately consider putting in place mechanisms of overhauling and reviewing the entire constitution with many claiming it had been distorted by the people in power through removing key entrenched provisions which had stood as key safeguards of that constitution.

During several panel discussions by politicians and drafters, philosophers and human rights activists and constitutional law experts among others including former CA delegates  Hon. Hope Mwesigye from  Kabale, Hon Loice Biira Bwambale Kasese, Hon. Ken Lukyamuzi, and senior members of academia collectively had no kind words with the government for clandestinely removing most key safeguards of the constitution like the age limit, lifting presidential terms as well as failure to bring forward the issues that were never debated like the unresolved issues of Buganda’s Federo, the presidential powers, Bunyoro, Northern Uganda, land question, Bugisu, Teso, Karamoja, representation, Balalo,  and Ankole among others.

They demanded that for fairness purposes the government needs to arrange for a serious public debate to discuss these unresolved issues because the country won’t heal unless these matters are discussed through sober engagement with all stakeholders.

The secretariat was tasked to draft the resolutions and pass them to the government through the ministry of justice and constitutional affairs and cabinet secretariat for drafting into a constitutional working document.